Dark Side Of The Moon
by unbroken.dreams
Summary: In a world where nothing and no one is what it seems like, who can you trust? Ruby is about to find out, when she loses control over the Wolf again and Whale is there for her. (Frankenwolf-Fic! Set after 2x12)
1. The Break-Down

**Hey you Guys!  
**

**After I got so many lovely reviews for my Frankenwolf Oneshot (Late Night Visit) it was impossible for me not to write another Fanfic. But this time it will all be bigger, there will be drama, at times it will be dark (actually that's kinda how it starts) but there are - of course - going to be sweet moments as well. Oh, so so sweet...  
**

**I really hope you enjoy "Dark Side of the Moon", because I have such a great time writing it! **

**If you like it I will try to update it once a week (after all it IS a ONCE Fanfic, right? lol) So please, R&R and tell me if you want more!  
**

**(Oh and also: English isn't my native language, so please don't go too hard on me if you find mistakes!)  
**

* * *

** DARK SIDE OF THE MOON  
**

**Chapter 1; The Break-Down.**

It was a cold night in Storybrooke and Ruby walked quickly through the streets, carefully keeping her coat shut. Because of the rain it was hard to tell but she was drenched in tears. She quickly walked out of the city and into the forest until she reached the main street again. Ruby didn't want to walk the whole road itself because she didn't want to run into someone and no one was in the woods at night.

Everyone was way to terrified, with Regina in hiding, Cora somewhere in Storybrooke and Hook... well, he was in the hospital, waiting for Mr. Gold to return and kill him. But as soon as Hook got out, everyone was hoping David would put him behind bars so he couldn't hurt anyone else. With the whole town worrying about two Witches and one Pirat, no one bothered to worry about the Werewolf anymore. Of course they didn't have to, since Ruby has managed to get the Wolf under control again. Right.

She kept walking until she reached the line which marked the end of town and stopped right before it. One more step and she'd cross it. For a while she just stood here, her eyes on the line and crying. She looked up into the sky, trying to see the moon, but there were nothing but dark clouds. It wasn't a fullmoon, she knew that. That was what irritated her so much. She looked at the street again and closed her eyes, ready to cross the line, when she yelled: „**Go away!**"

Ruby'd known someone had been following her for a while now but she was hoping going through the forest would scare him off. She didn't have to see him, to know who it was. All she needed was to smell him. And even through the Rain, the Woods and what was beneath her coat, she could smell it was Dr. Whale. Frankenstein. Of course he wasn't scared of dark places, she should have known.

„I will." he replied and stepped out of the forest and on to the street. „As long as you promise not to cross that line."

Ruby opened her eyes again but didn't turn around. He obviously wasn't going to leave, which was a problem. In fact, it was a problem, that he'd even seen her here. Tonight. After what happened. And there was of course the biggest question; how much had he seen?

„How long have you been following me?" she asked but still didn't turn towards him. Her eyes stayed on the street behind the line.

„You don't know?"

„I noticed you around the time I passed the Sheriffs Office." She didn't know if he'd been there earlier. There was way too much going on in her head before.

„_Passed_ is kind of a strech, don't you think? Considering you walked up and down before the entrance about 50 times before you actually went on." Whale came nearer, she heard it.

„Are you trying to become stalker of the year?" Ruby asked annoyed. She was very very testy right now and could not stand him being the smartass he was. „And just for the record, _go away_ does **not** mean _come closer_!" she added in a commanding voice.

„I know it doesn't. I just figured... a couple of days ago, when I was about to kill myself – and what you're about to do is basically the same – you didn't back off, when I told you to, either, and that turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me."

Ruby's expression got sad as he said that, but he couldn't see that, since she was still staring out on the street. „Don't you think you're being a bit overdramatic?" she asked and tried to sound cold, but this time her voice was shaking.

„Says the woman who's about to give up her entire life." Again with the smartassness.

As he reached out to grab her shoulder her instincs told her was he was doing and Ruby backed away, before he could touch her and looked at him. „I'm **not** a woman." she said as the color of her eyes changed from brown to yellow for not even a second – but she could tell he saw it, even if it was dark, because he got scared.

„Ruby... what is going on?" he asked in all seriousness, but still didn't seem to be prepaired to back off. „It's not fullmoon. You can't turn."

She took a short sad, unbelieving short laughter. „Well thank you, Doctor. I'm all better now."

„Okay... I get it. You're freaking out! But there's no reason... we'll get your red cloak and-"

„That's gone." she interrupted him and he was quiet. „I already checked. That's why I'm here." Her cold facade broke and showed what was left of her: A very scared woman who just wanted this nightmare to be over. „I have to leave. If I don't..." she shook her head as new tears were running down her face. „I thought I managed how to control the wolf but as it turned out, it's stronger than me. It can take over whenever it wants, it doesn't even need a fullmoon and I'm scared." She breathed very fast, the last words came out as noting more than a whisper and she was probably close to a mental breakdown. Maybe even past.

Whale took a step towards her but Ruby backed away from him again. „Don't! I'm dangerous. I will hurt you." She couldn't stop crying and her voice was shaking with emotion.

„Ruby, if you leave... the monster will still be there. This line doesn't erase what we are! It only takes away your memory. And if you cross it... you'll give the wolf even more power, because you won't even remember it's there. And you will have access to even more people to hurt! Do you want that?"

She didn't reply, her look just wandered from him over the line to the street. After a while Whale walked to her and this time she didn't back away. He took her hands into his and asked again: „Do you want that?"

Ruby looked at him and a view moments passed, before she finally shook her head.

„Good. Than come with me and we will find a solution." Whale said that in absolute confidence and she wanted to believe him. Still, she hesitated. It wasn't until he added „I promise." when she nodded very slowly and let Whale take her back to Storybrooke.


	2. The Incident

**As promised - one week later and the next Chapter's here! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed the Story!**

**Each Review means a lot to me and makes my day! So please, keep it coming, because lately I've been having so much bad luck and your lovely Reviews make me feel better :)**

* * *

_**Chapter 2; The Incident.**_

It felt as if she was in a trance. She was still keeping her coat shut as if her live depended on it. Maybe it even did. As she walked into the hospital she almost held on to it even more. Whale brought her into his treatment room and told her to have a seat on the cot.

„What are we doing here?" she asked as she sat down.

„Well... I'm a doctor and a scientist. Therefore I like the scientific perspective of things and of course... needles." That didn't sound too good. „Let's put the magical aspect aside for just a moment. There's something obviously wrong with you and as a doctor I do the first thing that comes to mind: Tests. I'd like to take a blood sample of yours, if that's alright with you."

She wasn't sure if that was the right way to go, but it wasn't that she had a hundred other options in mind so she said: „Yeah. Sure." She was still pretty out there.

„Good. You'll need to take the coat off, please." he said but Ruby instantly shook her head. Whale took a deep breath, sat down on his chair and layed one hand on her leg. Obviously he thought this would make her a better listener and he wasn't that wrong. „Look. In order for me to take a blood sample I will need your arm without any clothing. It does not work with the coat on."

Ruby looked at him in shock and guilt. „I can't take it off." she said desperatly.

„Why not?"

„Because..." she sobbed and couldn't finish the sentence.

Whale stood up from his chair and sat right next to Ruby. „Hey... you can tell me anything. Believe me I can take a lot. After all I'm Frankenstein."

She still wasn't ready to talk, therefore he just kept talking: „I'm guessing you need proof... alright. Here's something you didn't know about me... After I brought my brother Gerhard back to life... or, whatever you want to call it: He attacked our father. He had insulted me – again - and Gerhard lost it. He beat him to death and I just stood there, watched.. and let it happen. After everything father as said to my it felt righteous. I know now, that it was wrong. But basically... I had my father killed. So whatever it is you did... it can't be worse than this." He must have thought telling her this horrible part of his past would make her tell him what happened tonight.

And though she didn't just now, she said something else: „That's one more thing we have in common. Kind of... back in the Entchaned Forest, I... killed my mom." He looked at her in surprise. „I know... the boyfriend and the mother - score." she added with a sad smile. „My mom was a wolf, like me. Only she had it completely under control and would have killed Snow on purpose. I couldn't let her do that. So I protected my best friend and my mom got killed."

„But that's not what you're upset about right now?" he asked and she shook her head. „Look. We both did horrible things in our past. And whatever happened tonight... whatever is beneath that coat that you don't want people to see... If there's anyone in this town who'll understand – it's me."

Ruby bit her lip and looked at him. „Okay." she finally gave in and started opening the coat. What came out into the open was mostly... blood. Not hers, obvoiusly, but it was spread all over her clothes.

Whale looked horrified but not judging. „What happened?" he asked again and this time he got an answer.

„The man you saved... I caught him making a phonecall outside the hospital. He lied to Emma. He saw Gold using magic and he was talking to his girlfriend about it. I got really... really mad. And than... I blacked out. Just like it was fullmoon. The first thing I remember afterwards is waking up next to... parts... of him. There was blood everywhere..."

He was quiet for a while but after a while he asked: „Has anybody seen you?" Ruby thought that was an odd first reaction towards someone who just confessed a murder.

„Did you hear anyone cry a wolf? No. - I panicked and just... ran. I was going to stop at the Sheriffs Office but David would never believe I did something like this. He didn't the last time. But this time it's different."

„So you figured you'd take care of the problem yourself. By erasing who you are."

Ruby nodded.

Whale took a deep breath and thought for a moment. „I meant what I said: We will find a solution for this. But first things first..." he stood up and Ruby automaticalls closed the coat again. „I need to go do something... and you will wait here. I will lock the room so no one can come in." Or nothing could get out. Whale didn't say it but Ruby knew that was the other reason. Except – a locked door? Not exactly enough to hold back a Werewolf when it wanted to get out.

„As far as it seems the wolf can take over when you're on an extremly high emotional level. You blacked out when you were mad and I saw your eyes when you were freaked out. Therefore it's very important that you calm down and stay that way. Do you understand?"

„Y-... yes. But where are you going?"

„Don't worry. You can trust me." And than he was gone.

Ruby heard the door getting locked and and him walking away. This was leaving her sitting on the cot, covered in blood... trying to think of happy things, so she would stay calm. And even though all she could think about right now was Whale – it worked. She stayed calm because she trusted him. He would find a way to help her.

* * *

**That's it for today. The next Chapter will be up next Monday! :)**


	3. The Cover-Up

**Monday is back and after a really sucky day at work - I am back to writing as well ;) **

**Thanks to my Reviewers! Especially to ItsPopi for the lovely words!**

** to Sharon Williams: You're right, Dr. Whale has no mystery to solve in the show. Maybe that'll change. Concerning Gregs Fate in this FF... well there will be a definite answer in this chapter to this one. (Though I am not sure if there was ever a question if he was dead or not^^)**

* * *

_**Chapter 3; The Cover-Up.**_

When she heard the door getting unlocked she turned towards it and, to her relief, it was Dr. Whale who came in. She would have been one hell of an explanation short about why she was sitting in a locked doctors office if a nurse would have come in. „Finally. I thought I would have to spend the night here." she said because he had been gone for an hour.

„I'm sorry. Things took a little longer than I expected." he carefully closed the door behind him and showed her to sit down again.

„And exaclty what are we talking about?" she asked while sitting down.

He got a hollow needle out of one of the drawers and prepaired her arm, as he answered: „Let's just say until the next garbage collection takes place... your secret is safe."

Ruby looked at him in shock. „What?" She didn't even notice the needle, which was already in her arm. „Why did you do that?"

„You're welcome." He looked encouraging into her eyes but Ruby didn't feel like it was taken care of.

„No, you don't get it! No matter how good you hid it... that doesn't change the fact that I killed that man!"

„I guess it doesn't", he pulled the needle out, pressed a pad on the small wound. „Put pressure on that." he said incidentally and got up. „But we'll find out what caused it. And we'll make it disappear."

„Are you not listening to me? **I killed someone!**" she pointed out angrily. „No matter what caused this or even **if** we're able to make it go away... that never changes. Don't you have a conscience?"

Whale seemed worried at her emotional outbreak. „Yes, Ruby I do, and I beg you to calm down, otherwise there'll be no one left to help you." Ruby startled. He was right... if she got emotional she gave the wolf a chance to take over. „And also, do you mind keeping it down? I went trough a lof of trouble that no one found out what you did. And you yelling about it.. not helping."

She still looked at him sceptical and as he sat down next to her she moved away a bit.

„I do have a conscience. And it's telling me that you didn't do this. It was the wolf."

„I **am** the wolf"

„Not always. You said it yourself: You learned how to control it. And when you do – **than** it's you. If you're not... it's not. Besides you've been sitting here for the past hour and you were fine. Which means you still have control over it. As long as you control your emotions you're alright. So, until we find a permanent solution for this... just keep doing what you did for the past hour. It seems to work just fine. What was it, anyway?"

Ruby hesitated. „Granny. And Mary-Margaret. I thought about them." Okay, so that was a lie. But she couldn't exactly sit here and tell him the has been thinking about **him** all the time, could she? He would get the wrong idea.

Whale seemed to buy it. „Good. Keep doing that. Oh and... I think you should come and stay with me. At least for tonight."

She froze. „Why?"

„Because I know what's going on with you. Your grandmother doesn't. And unless you're willing to tell her... you should stay with me." Ruby hated to admit it, but he had a point. She didn't want to tell Granny just yet. Maybe when they found a solution or when it became clear that there wasn't any. Up until then telling people would just upset her... and the town setting up a stake for her to burn on would upset her even more. Therefore it was better if no one else knew. For now. Even if Whale seemed perfectly okay with keeping this secret forever - Ruby wasn't.

She was thankful, though. Thankful that Dr. Whale did all this for her. „Okay. I will come with you. If you tell me why you're doing this."

He shrug his shoulders. „You helped me the last time I needed someone. I'm returning the favour."

„This is **beyond** returning a favour! This is... covering up a murder."

Whale exhaled and took a moment before he answered. „First of all... this is not a murder. You didn't plan this... if anything it was a manslaughter. And seconf of all... You're the only person in this whole town who's ever done anything for me. Probably even in my whole life. And ever since you helped me... I feel..." he stopped and Ruby apparently was never goind to find out how that sentence was going to end, because he started another one: „You have a good heart. Way better than mine..." he was silent for a moment before he continued: „If anyone here is worth saving... it's you."

His words really got to Ruby and she even caught herself smiling just a little bit. Not for long, though, it vanished as she aked: „But... aren't you scared at all? If I stay with you and turn again... you do understand that getting eaten alive is way worse than just getting killed?"

„I'm not worried. As long as you stay calm-"

„You don't know that! You're **guessing** that's the trigger but you can't be sure. I mean Doctors are wrong all the time!"

„Well, if I am I guess you'll eat me. But don't worry about that. After all, there **are** people in this town you could eat, whom the rest would be actually **sad** about, so..." Ruby didn't reply. She didn't think she could stand killing someone else and the thought of this someone being Dr. Whale made her feel... she didn't know how exactly but she didn't like it.

She also found it very disturbing that he thought so low of himself, when it came to the rest of the town. Ruby figured he wasn't quite serious about her eating him, because he obviously still believed his assumption was true, but he was about the last part. „Why do you think that way?" she asked with a sad look on her face.

„Because it's the truth. The people here don't like me very much, everyone thinks I'm just a pervert, who slept with Davids wife, got his PHD from a curse and likes to raise dead people in his spare time." He sounded very bitter as he said that and Ruby felt sorry for him. „But that's okay. I simply don't like lying to myself." There was more to that answer, Ruby could almost feel it, but he didn't say more and she didn't ask.

„I think we should go now." He put the blood he took from her in his top desk drawer. „I will take this to the laboratory myself tomorrow." Clearly he didn't want anyone else to see if something was wrong with it. He was so protective and foresighted, which impressed her very much.

* * *

**Okay guys, that's it. See you next week ^^ And remember: R&R!  
**


	4. The Night

**Hey Guys! :D**

**Monday means Update-Day. As I am very sick this chapter is a bit short, sorry. I promise: The next one will be longer! Besides it may be short but it's a cute one I think.**

**Thanks again to all the wonderful Reviewer! You are awesome for taking the time not just to read but also to review.I'm very curious what you think of this chapter :)  
**

* * *

_**Chapter 4; The Night.**_

_It was instinct. Four legs, four paws running through the forest, hunting a certain smell; she would recognize Snow under a million. Such a wannabe innocent, smartass Queen of every god damned little thing. She was close. Very close. Ruby jumped and landed right in front of Snow, and growled. Snow slowly started walking backwards but Ruby didn't give her a chance – the jumped right at her and tore her carotid apart._

She woke with a loud, terrified scream and sat up in the bed. Her heart was racing and she was breathing very fast. Not a second later the door to the bedroom was ripped open.

„Whale!" Ruby cried out and as he sat down on the bed she flinged her arms around his neck.

He held her tight. „It's okay… you were dreaming. It was just a nightmare."

But there was nothing he could have said to make this dreams appear less terrifying. She felt tears shooting into her eyes. „It was horrible… it all seemed so real. I could taste the blood, I can **still** taste her blood! And I hated her… god, how much I hated her…" she cried out hysterically.

Whale parted from her very quickly, layed his hands on her shoulders and looked seriously into her eyes. „Ruby, you need to calm down. This is very important!" It took her a view moments but than she managed to calm herself.

After a while they sat quietly next to each other as Ruby dryed her tears with a tissue. „I'm sorry for waking you." She apologized but he shook his head.

„You didn't. I was awake." That clearly explained why he had been there this quickly. He had given Ruby his bed to sleep in, while he was on the couch of the living room – and kitchen. His apartment wasn't very big. „Who did you dream about?"

„Snow… Mary-Margaret. I... the wolf chased her through the forest and…" she shook her head and took a deep breath before she looked at him, completely horrified. „What's happening to me?" In her entire life Ruby has never been this scared. Not even when she found out she was the wolf in the first place... it was worse this time because now it was like the wolf was trying to shut the human out. And right now it felt like it was succeeding.

He looked at her in sadness and lowered his head. Of course he didn't have an answer. Who would have? Maybe she was just going insane. „You should try and get some sleep. Overtiredness on top of everything will just make things worse."

Ruby shook her head. „I don't want to sleep."

Whale thought for a moment. „What if I stayed here? I could watch over you and if you show any signs of having a nightmare I'll wake you up right away."

Has he always been this sweet and caring? Ruby almost felt bad for not noticing this until just now. A light smile appeared on her lips as she answered: „Sounds good."

He nodded. „Alright then." When he got up she looked at him in confusion.

„What are you doing?"

„Just... getting a chair."

If the situation was any different Ruby probably would have laughed. „Why? I thought you were going to protect me." She moved a bit to make room on the bed (which was more demonstratively than anything else, since he had a King-Sized-Bed, and no, she did NOT want to know any details). „Protect me."

He smiled and shrug his shoulders. „Well, if you're offering…" Whale got on the bed and layed an arm around Ruby, who huddled against him.

They didn't say anything for a while, until Ruby – out of nowhere – quietly started giggling a little bit.

„What?" he wanted to know.

„Getting a chair?" she quoted, what she was giggling about. „You're like the biggest womanizer in town… and you were going - to get - a chair."

„Well… this is different. You not some woman I want to get into bed." A short pause, where he must have realized where exactly they were right now. „Oh... wait..."

Ruby actually laughed a bit. It felt good to laugh and just enjoy the moment.

„Still different." he insisted. „Although... there might have been screaming in the middle of the night, too... but believe me: It would have been way more fun for the both of us."

When he slightly hit him on the chest and raised with an amused smile on her face. „I can **not** believe you just said that!"

Whale laughed, but stopped and frozed it as a sweet smile, as he looked at her and stroke a strand of her out of her face. „I do. It brought your smile back."

To be honest Ruby hadn't thought she could ever smile or laugh again, after what happend today. But Whale actually made it happen and that was what amazed her. In the heat of the moment she leanend down towards him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Afterwards her face remained with almost no distance right before his, as she said: „Thank you. For everything."

He looked both surprised and pleased as he nodded and softly stroked her back. Ruby layed her head down on his chest and felt so safe and secure, like nothing could hurt her and like the wolf couldn't take over. Not tonight. Not as long as Whale was with her.

* * *

**I'll leave you with this sweet-sweet scene. I'm going to be back with the Chapter next Monday. See ya!**


	5. The Morning After

**New week, new chapter :) Thanks to everyone who reviewed, seriously, you're the BEST! I can't say how much each and every review means to me. It's so amazing that so many people like my story I feel so proud :)**

**I'm still not entirely healthy again but I'm capable of thinking again, which is always a very good foundation for writing xD As promised, this chapter is longer and includes a character which is not Ruby or Whale for the first time.  
**

******(Oh and in case anyone is confused: Yes, I did change my nick from ENCHANTINGtoMEETyou to unbroken . dreams - Every now and than I get bored of nicks and feel the need to change them. It's still me, though ;) )**

* * *

_**Chapter 5; The Morning After.**_

When Ruby awoke, she had the feeling she'd slept for years... she hadn't felt this rested and good in a very long time. Except maybe for a little itch she felt at her neck. She had probably been bitten by a mosquito but that didn't kept her from feeling good this morning. As she opened her eyes she realized though, that she was alone. Whale was gone. She found a note on the bed.

_Gone to your Grandmother to get you some clothes. Hopefully I'll be back before you wake up. If not – I'll make it up to you. As I recall I still owe you some screaming? - Victor._

Ruby smirked, shook her head and mumbled „And he wonders why everyone thinks he's a pervert." The funny thing was, he went to Grannys to tell her not to worry... and now Ruby was worrying about him. She simply didn't think he would survive if he mentioned the words: Ruby, Bed, Night and, or Clothes... This was like Taboo meets Mission Impossible.

Although clothes weren't such a bad idea. After all all she was wearing was a slip and one of his shirts. And she wasn't all so keen about getting dressed in the same clothes, she wore yesterday. As usual he was one step ahead of her. Ruby was a stand-up-woman, who was capable of taking care of herself, if she really needed to. But she liked the thought that someone, who was not her grandmother, was taking care of her so well as he did. It made her feel so secure. Her mind knew she was still standing in front of the mess she'd made but her feelings were perfectly happy right know and told her mind to shut up.

When she heard the front door she got up and out of the bedroom.

„You're awake." he said and she nodded.

„Obviously."

„Good. I was hoping I'd need to make something up to you." he had a joking, and partly dirty, grin on his face, as he said that and Ruby smiled.

„You wish."

„Indeed, I am."

He wasn't quite being serious, or at least Ruby didn't think so, but the teasing was very funny. „So, let's see... You're still walking, all your bodyparts seem to be at the right place and I don't see a restraining order anywhere. Things went well with Granny?" She was of course kidding (… kind of).

„Oh yes, Granny... she's a **lovely** woman." was all he said but Ruby had to hold back a knowing smile. She loved her grandmother very much, but she knew that when it came to her, she could get anything but lovely... „But - I defeated the dragon." he added in a heroic voice and comparing Granny to a Dragon sounded more realistic than lovely. At least in this Situation.

He gave her some of the clothes he brought and she went into the bathroom to change. She soon found out that Granny had picked out the clothes, because she found a note between them that said:

_GET. GOME. NOW!_

_NOW_ was underlined three times. Ruby sighted. „What is it, Day of Notes?" she mumbled, threw it away and got under the shower. She knew she couldn't avoid Granny forever, or anyone else for that matter, but right know, hiding out in Whale's apartment, seemed like the perfect way to spend to the rest of her life. Except that, eventually, they would find her. In fact Ruby tought, Granny was already building up an armee to get her out of here.

When she got out Whale had prepaired breakfast, which made a smile light up her face again. „I thought you might be hungry."

„I am... Unfortunately." Hungry was one of those words that remined her of last night. She had eaten another human being and 12 hours later – she was hungry again. Of course that wasn't true exactly, was it? If she'd be honest with herself she'd realize; she was hunrgy **all the time**. Even when she had just eaten, when she was **still** eating... there was nothing that could fulfill her need for food. At least not for the last couple of days.

They sat down and had breakfast and it took Whale a while, before he addressed the sensitive topic: „So, how are you today?"

Usually that was smalltalk. Right now it hurt. At first she tried to somehow bypass the real topic, by saying „Well, some monster mosquito bit me and it's killing me." While that was also true (she kept scratching her neck) that wasn't the real problem. And she couldn't ignore it so after a while she shook her head. „I don't know. I mean... I should be beyond horrible, right? And in way **I am**. What I've done is inexcuseable. But overall... I think I'm fine." She exhaled. „Except... feeling fine... only makes me feel worse." She wasn't **suppose** to feel fine!

„I think it's good you're feeling better. Besides - You haven't turned again for the rest of the night."

„Only because of you. I felt..." she thought for a moment if she should or shouldn't tell him. But than she figured, not only she should... she wanted to. „I felt like I was in the safest place that exists. In every world." He slightly smiled but didn't reply. It was Ruby who continued, when she realized: „That would have all been different if you hadn't found me last night..."

„But I have. Let's stop playing _What if_, okay?"

„You're right. I'm sorry." Thinking of worse scenarios didn't help anyone. „How did you find me, anyway? Does Frankenstein also have a very good sense of smell?"

He smirked and was about to answer when someone knocked on the door. As he got up and walked towards it he answered anyway: „No, Frankenstein only knows how to find desperation I guess. I saw you sneeking around the Sheriff Station on my way home."

Ruby nodded, but at the same time thought about hiding. What if her Grandmother had come to get her? She wasn't all wrong. As Whale opened the door it wasn't Granny who appeared – but it was Mary-Margaret. And since she wasn't exactly here everyday, she was probably here by Grannys command. Like Ruby thought... an army.

„Mary-Margaret... what a **lovely** surprise." Whale said and Ruby bit her lip. The word lovely was getting a whole other meaning as he kept saying it. „I have to say I didn't expect you and I'm kind of busy, so..."

„Shut up, Whale." She nearly tackled him as she got in and walked straight towards Ruby. „Come on. We're leaving."

„I don't want to leave." Ruby said and took another bite of her bun, to keep herself busy. Seeing her best friend after the nightmare she had last night? Not exactly easy. Although she did feel a lot better, even about that. By now she had realized that it had just been a dream. It was weird, how could one change so much in just one night? Her eyes automatically found Whale.

„Ruby? Ruby!" Mary-Margart snipped her fingers in front of Rubys face, which caused her to actually notice her again.

„What?"

„Let me put it this way, if I don't call your grandmother within the next 10 minutes and tell her you're with me instead of Dr. Tequila", Mary-Margaret punished him with a look for drinking during work, before she looked back to Ruby. „I think she is going to storm this apartment and it will **not** be pretty." This didn't make Ruby agree with her. It wasn't until Mary-Margaret added „She's already looking for her crossbow." when Ruby got up real quick.

„Okay, let's go."

Whale looked disappointed and it Ruby felt bad that she had to leave. She'd rather stay here, but she was planning on coming back already anyway. Mary-Margaret passed Whale and Ruby followed her, but stopped in front of him. „I'll be back as soon as I can. Will you be in the hospital?"

„I have the day off. I'll just make a quick stop to check... something." She slightly nodded to tell him, she understood what he meant. „But aside from that... I'll be here."

Ruby smiled, knowing, that his last words meant more than just him being at his apartment all day. She felt the desire to kiss him goodbye, but hesitated for two reasons... one: Mary-Margaret was here. And two: Was she allowed to kiss him goodbye? They weren't a couple or anything. Her kiss last night was a thank you, nothing more, nothing less.

When she figured she was overthinking this she also figured: Screw it. She raised herself up on her tiptoes a little bit and gave him a short kiss on the lips and he slightly kissed her back this time. She didn't seem to be able to get rid of her smile when they parted. „Bye."

It wasn't very different with Whale. He also had a light smile on his lips as he replied: „Bye."

Meanwhile Mary-Margaret looked as if she'd seen a ghost and added in a desperate voice: „Yes... please: Bye!"

* * *

**Well, there's nothing more I can say except maybe: Bye ;) 'Till next time, dearies!**


	6. The Confession

**Hey there!**

**Thanks for the reviews I've gotten :) **

** at CaptainHookLover: I'm so glad you thought MM was funny, because that was were I was going :)  
**

**Anyways chapter 6 is here:**

* * *

_**Chapter 6; The Confession.**_

„What were you thinking?!" Mary-Margaret must have asked this question for the 100th time, as they entered her apartment. David was sitting in the living room and got up as the two showed up.

„What's going on?" he asked.

„Nothing." Ruby said quickly, but Mary-Margaret didn't go for it.

„Ruby is now dating Dr. Whale."

„**What?!**"

She rolled her eyes. Unbelieveable. „As I already told your wife, whom I can only assume has gone deaf... I am **not** dating him. We're just friends."

„Oh really? Because I haven't seen you kiss any of your other friends goodbye after you spend the night. On - the - lips!" Mary-Margaret pointed out and of course Ruby couldn't deny that.

David didn't seem to be able to catch up, but probably found it safer to say nothing and trying to find the golden thread as the conversation continued.

„So what, maybe I'm starting to. What's your problem anyway?"

„My problem is that you're falling for the biggest jerk in this town. He's Dr. Frankenstein for the love of god... he created a monster. None of us has ever done such a horrible thing! Plus, he may have an alcohol problem."

As Ruby shook her head she realized that Whale was actually right. Mary-Margaret didn't think of him as one of them, of 'her people'. „No, you're right. None of **you** has ever done such a horrible thing."

„What's that supposed to mean?"

„Well, you clearly assume that anyone who's done such a terrible thing can't be _one of you_. And since I have done actually **worse** that discludes me from your people, right?"

Mary-Margaret was shocked that she actually said that. „No... Ruby, you never did anything like this."

„Frankenstein tried to bring back life! He wanted to do good, he wanted to **help** people! Me? I ate Peter! I **took** lifes as a Wolf, when he tried to **save** them! And ironically **he's** the outsider in this town!" She didn't see it until now; what he said about the citizens of Storybrooke and himself... he was right.

„Ruby no one blames you. You didn't mean to kill anyone."

„But I have. And for what it's worth... if I'd known Whale, or Frankenstein, as Red... I may not have even killed. Ever."

„Why on earth would you think that?" David asked, who seemed to have managed to catch up.

She hesitated. Telling them about last night was the one thing she didn't feel like sharing... right? It was so weird. When she fell asleep the was so scared of what might happen when she told anyone. And now? She felt secure enough to do so. This was why she said: „Because last night I turned into the wolf again."

„But... it wasn't a fullmoon." Mary-Margaret was confused and Ruby could blame her.

„I know. But believe me when I say that I turned. I actually haven't felt good for the past days, I guess those were the signs. I should have realized that **something** was wrong. And when I turned last night... I killed someone. The Stranger, who ran Hook over." Because they'd had so many strangers in town... specifying wasn't exactly necessary.

Before Mary-Margaret or David could say anything Ruby continued: „I was devastated and going to cross the town-line... but Whale found me. He took care of me, he **helped** me, because that's what he does! He's a **good** person, whether you want to see it or not! Not only did he take a blood sample from me, to analyze it and find out what's wrong with me... he also figured out that I turned when I was extremly emotional. And he was able to calm me down. I didn't turn again for the rest of the night and I feel much better today. Thanks to **him**. - So maybe you should give him some credit. Without him I wouldn't be here today. Literally."

Ruby wasn't sure what shocked them more... the fact that she had killed again, or that Whale was good person. Mary-Margaret stepped up after a while, with tears in her eyes, and hugged her, saying „I'm so sorry..." Ruby believed her, which was why she hugged her back.

After they parted David said: „First of all... what happened wasn't your fault, I think we can all agree on that." Ruby didn't but didn't say anything either. „Someone is obviously manipulating you to turn into the wolf so you would kill."

„And we already know how that is right?" Mary-Margaret blend in. „There are only two options here – Regina or Cora. Or Both of them for that matter. The last time everyone thought you killed someone they were about to burn you. And now that you actually have... Regina has always been out to hurt me and have the town kill my best friend, whom she made lose control, sounds just like her."

„For what it's worth, she lost **one** fight... I know how to control it now. Whenever I feel my emotions getting out of hand I focus on calming down and I'm fine."

„And we believe you." David assured her. „But my guess is... the rest of the town won't."

„But they have to if Whale can proof it, right? When he has the results of your blood test and someone has manipulated it... not everyone here trusts magic. But they will trust scienfitic facts and while everyone thinks Whale's a pervert jerk... no one doubts that he's a good doctor. If he says you're going to be fine... they will believe it."

Ruby smiled. „Look who's coming around." Obviously her little speech had been effective, they believed her, that Whale was good guy. Or at least they were trying to very hard and that meant a lot to Ruby as well.

„Well, you didn't really give me much of a choice." Mary-Margaret gave her a light smile. „Hey, Whale said he was going to the hospital to check on your blood, right? Maybe we should go there, too. We need to solve this as quickly as possible, because eventually people **are** going to notice that Greg is missing." Ruby couldn't shake the feeling that Mary-Margaret was still distrustful of Whale and the only reason she wanted to go the hospital right away - was to beat him to it.

* * *

**I know: Our favourite doctor has been MIA this time. I'm sorry but Ruby needed to have this talk alone with them. It felt better this way. I hope you liked the chapter anyway! Please let me know!**

**Until next week, dearies :)**


	7. The Blood Sample

Hey guys :)

I'm really glad you took the absense of out favourite Doctor this well, thanks to each and everyone who wrote a Review :)

And here's Chapter 7:

* * *

_**Chapter 7; The Blood Sample.**_

„Hey, are you still in the Hospital?" Ruby asked Whale over the phone as she entered it, alongside David. Mary-Margaret had stayed behind to call Emma to see if she was alright. After all she **was** travelling with Rumplestiltskin.

„Uh, no. I just got home."

„So you already did the test?" as Ruby asked this Mary-Margaret had caught up with them and looked at her, obviously trying to listen to what Whale said. After that didn't seem to work she went off to the side with David and talked to him for a moment. About Emma, Ruby figured.

„Yeah. Yeah I did. Ruby, I'm sorry... I didn't want to tell you over the phone, but... there was nothing different about your blood."

Ruby couldn't help but to be disappointed. „Oh..."

„Don't worry, okay? This was just my first idea. There are a couple of other tests I can run and remember: You're fine for now! You know how to control it, which is much more important than finding out what caused it in the first place."

She closed her eyes to held back some tears. „Yeah, of course. I know." And still she had hoped it would be over once he'd checked her blood. Mary-Margaret, who was back, saw how Ruby felt and layed an arm around her.

„Will you swing by my place later?" Whale asked and Ruby nodded.

Since he could see that she said: „Yes. See you later."

After she hung up David asked: „He did the test?"

„Yeah. But it didn't show any result. So basically we're back to knowing nothing."

Mary-Margaret said: „I'm so sorry."

„Me too. But listen, do you mind waiting here for a while? I'm going to make sure no one misses Greg."

Ruby shrug her shoulders and replied: „Sure."

Mary-Margaret gave her another hug before saying: „I'll wait with you. And you-" she looked towards David, who also finished the sentence for her.

„Hurry, I know. Don't worry, I will." He gave his wife a short kiss in the lips before he wandered off. Mary-Margaret and Ruby sat down on the chairs in the waiting section.

They didn't talk for a while until Ruby asked: „Are Emma and Henry okay?"

„Oh, yes. Henry is having the time of his life. And Emma... well, it turned out that Gold can't use magic outside Storybrooke, so it's on her to make sure he'll survive. She'll be fine." Ruby nodded. At least everything was okay over there.

Again there was silence between the two of them but before Ruby could get lost in her thoughts Mary-Margaret ask: „You really like him, don't you?"

Ruby didn't reply for a while and when she did she shrug her shoulders. „I don't know. I never have. Not much at least. He was always just... Dr. Whale, town-pervert."

„Whom you **did** flirt with when we hadn't had our memories back." Mary-Margaret blend in and Ruby smiled.

„That's true..." She didn't think about that time a lot but she had. When she quit Grannys she had almost went with Whale, when Emma and Mary-Margaret had come along and invited her to stay with them. It was funny how she seemed to be drawn to him. „It's just... lately I've been seeing another side to him. One that's caring, kind and very sweet... he even put up with Granny and both of them survived."

Mary-Margaret smiled but Ruby couldn't help to think that her smile wasn't honest. After all she has known Snow for so long and could tell if she was just pretending. But it wasn't just that, Ruby could also see... sadness in it. Why was she sad? „But why am I even telling you this..."

„What?"

„You still don't trust him. I can see it." This made Ruby feel very sad. „You know... I stood by you through everything that's happened. Why can't you trust my judgement? It's not like I've been wrong so many times in the past!"

Mary-Margaret looked hurt. „I know. And I want to trust your judgement. But I'm just trying to look after you. You are my best friend and I don't want to see you get hurt."

„You weren't there. You don't know him like I do. Besides... yes. I like him. But I'm not about to marry him so why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

Snow didn't reply, instead she got up when she saw David again. They went into another room and Ruby tried to listen to them, but with a door between her and them it didn't work. This was just so stupid. She should get up and leave, but didn't want to leave things like this with her best friend like this.

When they came back Mary-Margaret didn't say anything, it was David who spoke: „Ruby... I found something. I got one of the nurse to work on it but we all think you should be there when she has a result."

Ruby frowned. „What result?"

„Just come with us."

She got up and followed them but when she asked: „I thought you were going to make sure no one worried about Greg?"

„I did" David replied. „And then I did something else."

Ruby stopped walking and looked at Mary-Margaret. „You knew about this. That's why you stayed with me, you wanted to make sure I would stay here."

Mary-Margaret had guilt written all over face as she stopped as well. „Yes. I'm sorry, but we wanted you here if we found something."

„Found **what** exactly?"

„Please, just... come with us. We'll explain everything when we're there."

„No. You'll either explain right now or I'm not going anywhere."

David and Mary-Margaret shared a worried look before David said: „Okay, just... keep walking." Ruby hesitated for a moment before she agreed to that compromise and David continued: „I asked if Whale was here today but no one had seen him."

„So?" Ruby wasn't impressed. „He was going to test it in private. No one was supposed to know, so he probably snug in and out as well."

„Probably. Yes. Anyway I wanted to make sure so I was going through Whales Room... and I found your blood sample."

Ruby sighted. „Seriously you guys, this is getting ridiculous. So he didn't use the whole sample on his test and put the rest back."

David nodded. „Maybe. Just in case I gave it to Lydia, one of the nurses. She knows about this stuff and is running some tests right now."

„Fine... if this is going to get you off of Whale's back..."

„Yes." Mary-Margaret said. „If the test result is in fact negative we believe you. And him."

When they got to Lydia she had already finished the test and looked rather uncomfortable in her own skin. „Hey, you're back. Uhm... hi. I'm Lydia. I used to be a lamb."

Mary-Margaret and Ruby smirked while David said: „Lydia, we talked about this, this is not the ideal way to introduce yourself."

„Can we get to the point before the big bad wolf eats up Mary's little lamb?" Ruby said and was actually joking, but Lydia seemed to take her serious. „Sorry... I was kidding."

„Yeah, sure... I know." She laughed nervously and than finally got to business: „I finished the test. But before I tell you anything there's something you should know." When Lydia talked about something medicinal she seemed a lot more confident. „There are differences between human blood and the blood of, let's say, a wolf. You can easily see it under the microscope. - The blood test you took right after the curse was broken was completely normal, I can see that in your file. But this one... Ruby if I didn't know better I'd say this blood was taken from a wolf. Not a human."

„What are you saying?" Mary-Margaret asked, since Ruby didn't seem to be able to speak. She simply kept thinking: _That's not possible._

„I'm saying... someone changed Ruby's blood structure_. _The thing is..." Lydia looked like she was about to deliver the worst news ever. „Magic can't do that... at least not that I know of. But if you're smart enough and find the perfect match between magic and science..."

„You don't think...?" David asked Lydia but didn't finish the question.

He didn't have to. It was Mary-Margaret, who already gave the answer:

„Whale."

* * *

... do I dare say see you next week? I was really nervous about this chapter and I can't wait to see what the reactions are going to be (if there are any xD)

I guess it's until next week, Dearies.


	8. The Confusion

Hey guys! :D

I have to tell you it was sooo interesting reading all the different opinions regarding Whale... but I won't say who's right and who's not ;) Ruby is dealing with the same issue anyway. I'm afraid I'll have to quote one of my favourite Characters from a show called Alias and say: _"Truth takes time" _;) I do want to say something to a few reviews though:

To katieakat: This was by far the best review I've ever gotten. You have no idea how proud I am that my fanfic has this effect on you. I also get that sometimes from other fanfics and stuff but I never thought I could write something that would to that. So thanks! And of course you are welcome!

To CaptainHookLover: I'm glad you find it interesting :D

To midnighthatter: So much hate against Whale - well, keep reading. Let's see if it grows or not ;)

Anyway, enough from me now. Back to Storybrooke!

* * *

_**Chapter 8; The Confusion.**_

„What are the chances... the second time, in only one week, we accuse Regina of something she didn't do. I think this may cound as a bad habbit." Mary-Margaret mumbled in disbelief but Ruby didn't even listen.

All she said was as a quiet „No", and everyone instantly knew what she was refering to.

„Ruby..." Mary-Margaret started but Ruby cut her short.

„**NO!**" she nearly yelled and backed away from her best friend, who now was about to confess something.

„When I called Emma... I told her to ask Gold if he knew something about Frankenstein. I thought if anyone could tell us if he was trustworthy it would be him. Ruby – Rumplestiltskin once gave him the magical heart he needed to bring his brother back. To create Frankensteins Monster! Which means he's done this before... mix magic with science to get a certain result."

„Maybe he's done it in the past but right now this makes absolutely no sense. Why would he do that?"

„To get you to trust him? Make you believe he's the only one who understands and who can help you? And from what you've said before, it was working!"

„Consider the **source** were your information is coming from! Since when is **Gold** the most honest person around?" Ruby countered.

Mary-Margaret shook her head. „He's not. But he has no reason to lie. And we have proof that Whale tricked you. He told you he had examined your blood, and didn't find anything!"

„That's not proof! For all we know he made a mistake! Or maybe it's a set up! **You** of all people should know how **easy** it is to get framed very realistically in this town! It broke the two of your apart." Ruby knew she was crossing a line by mentioning this but she had to. She couldn't stand here and listen to the _Whale-is-evil-Speech_, wenn she knew exactly that he wasn't. He had helped her. He wasn't the enemie.

David instantly felt ashamed and started to see Rubys point. „That's true. Do you remember what Emma said?" he was talking to Mary-Margaret which gave Ruby a moment to take a view deep breaths. „Proof is usually hard to find if someone is guilty. And Whale is smart... he wouldn't get caught this easily."

„Now you're taking his side?" Mary-Margaret asked almost in anger.

„I'm trying to figure out what's happening and I'm considering all the options!" David clearified.

„Uh, guys?" Lydia asked but they ignored her.

„Whale couldn't have known we would come here! He must have thought Ruby wouldn't even tell us!" Mary-Margaret continued.

David disagreed. „A good plan consideres all possibilities."

A quiet „Hello?" from Lydia didn't stop their discussion.

„Now, **who** says he's able to make accurate plans like this, with all his blood rushing in the opposite direction of his brain?!"

„**Guys!**" Lydia said a bit louder so they would pay attention.

And it worked. Both of them turned towards her and asked synchronously „What?!"

Lydia looked a bit scared but she found her voice again to tell them: „Ruby's gone."

**: : : : : : : :**

_Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm._

She had to get out of there, all the yelling didn't exactly help her emotions to stay on a low level. Mary-Margaret might as well take a flower, rip of the leafs and say: Whale is evil, Whale is not evil, Whale is evil, Whale is not evil...

Ruby already knew the answer. He wasn't. It didn't make sense... he had been so thankful for her help, so kind towards her and such a good heart.

„_You have a good heart. Way better than mine."_

As quickly as she remembered his words she banished them from her mind again and shook her head.

She was there. Whales Apartment. It was dark outside and Ruby felt reliefed that she made it here without turning again... she was, however, feeling worse again than this moment. All this drama wasn't good for her, she was sure of it.

But as reliefed she felt to be here she was also a bit scared. What if Mary-Margaret was right? No, she wasn't. (But what if she was?) Ruby pressed the door bell and a slight smile passed over her face as he buzzed her into the building – he was home! He had promised her to be home. That must have meant she was right to trust him.

After she got up to his Apartment he smiled at first, but than notices how whacked Ruby looked and immediately asked: „What happened?" He was so worried. Worried for **her**, she could tell.

He closed the door behind her and dared to ask: „Did you... turn again?"

Ruby shook her head. „No. It's Mary-Margaret. She..." She looked into his eyes and didn't even manage to tell him what Snow thought of him. He wasn't capeable of hurting her this bad. He wouldn't. „We got into a fight."

„About what?" he wanted to know.

„Well, for starters: You." She didn't want to lie to him so she tried to find a way of telling the truth and not telling him what happened at the same time. Good luck, Ruby... „She doesn't think you can be trustet."

Whale's reaction was barely worth calling a reaction. It was like he almost frowned but than changed his mind and didn't. Probably because he wasn't surprised. „I told you they don't like me. And people tend not to trust the ones they don't like."

She nodded. Yes, she agreed with him now... 24 hours ago she wouldn't have but seing how Mary-Margaret reacted to all of this changed her mind. Implying that he manipulated her bloodstructure to get her to trust him... how would he have even done that? Did Snow honestly think that Ruby wouldn't have noticed him injecting her something? Very realistic!

„For what it's worth... I trust you." she said honestly and knew that Whale understood what this sentense also meant. After all he had just said it himself: Trusting someone meant liking someone. And she liked him. Very much. Ruby wasn't sure if she always had and just never noticed... or if these new sides, she kept finding in him, changed her feelings. Whatever it was: She was glad it happened. Because she hand't felt like this around anyone since Peter. And Whale was even more special – she just needed him and felt save. Save enough to be sure not to turn into the wolf again.

Whale smiled and walked towards her and stopped just right in front of her. „For what it's worth... that's all that matters to me."

Ruby returned the smile when an idea hit her. She stepped towards him. „Let's go away!" Her look was almost begging and caused confusion with him.

„Away where? We can't leave town."

„I know but... Mary-Margaret and David probably will be here soon and I don't want to argue with them anymore. I want to spend time with you... I'm sure there's a place somewhere in Storybrooke were they won't find us. At least not right away."

Whale slightly smiled as he nodded. „Alright. Let's do this. Just... let me pack something to eat."

Ruby jumped in joy and fell around his neck. „Thank you... you don't know how much that means to me." They hugged for a while and when they separated she couldn't break the eye contact. She hesitated for a moment but then leaned forward to kiss him. It was a different kiss than before – Ruby felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside her, which spread to her entire body within one moment.

When the kiss ended she looked at him with a smile on her face and he had the same one. It wasn't until he said „We should probably go, before walking will be very hard for me..." when they broke apart and she softly hit im on the chest for being a perv again. Though this time it might as well had been the truth.

He went into the kitchen and at first Ruby sat down on the couch, before the decided to pack some clothes – and some of her's might be back there, too. He had brought a couple of things from Granny to his place this morning. Ruby entered the bedroom and turned on the lights. It looked a bit more chaotic than this morning. On a second look: A lot of his clothes were spread on the floor. „Hey, are you clearing out your wardrobe?" she asked.

She heard him asking: „What?"

„Your whole bedroom is all messy." she replied and tried not to step on anything as she kept walking towards something that caught her eye right away. It was burried unter a couple of other things, she only saw a small part of it, but she was drawn to it.

It took Whale a moment to figure out what she was doing but than he said: „No, wait, don't go in there!" When got to the bedroom did he found her perching in front of some of the clothes but she didn't say anything. „Ruby...?"

She finally got up and turned around... Whale froze. She was holding something in her hands and looked at him in terror, confusement and most of all; hurt. „Why do you have this?"

It was her red cloak.

* * *

I know... it's a very mean cliffhanger. And I'm sorry (except I'm not? lol) but I'll continue next monday as usual! See you then, dearies


	9. The Plan

I have to say: Frankenwolfies are the best :) Your reviews made my day, seriously! I think it's so awesome you are so into the story!

To Wolfa Moon: lool It's his mothers... also a very good explanation I guess :D

To Sharon Williams: She did? No, I didn't know that :( I sure hope we get to keep Meghan as Ruby even if that means she has less screentime. I'd hate it if they simply changed the actress or write Ruby out! They are not allowed to do that. Period.

To: midnighthatter lol That made me laugh. Very true thouch :D

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the 9th Chapter :)

* * *

_**Chapter 9; The Plan.  
**_

„She didn't believe Lydia, when she said Whale manipulated her bloodstructure. What makes you think she'll believe a security tape of the hospital were Whale is talking to Cora? She'll find an excuse for that as well. Like, I don't know, _Someone put on a Whale-Costume for that tape_. She's being completely unreasonable, when it comes to Dr. Scumbag." Mary-Margaret kept rambling on about this ever since they found the tape. They had stayed back in the hospital in order to find something that would make Ruby believe them and David thought that this was it.

And nothing his wife said would make him believe otherwise. „Wouldn't you be if everyone started accusing me of doing those things to you?" Was all he asked.

Mary-Margaret stumbled. She got his point, obviously, but didn't want to admit it. „You can't compare them to us. We've been through so much they barely even know each other."

„I still think you should cut her some slack. She hasn't had feelings for someone since Peter and because of Peter this is also a very sensitive topic with her. After all: You all thought he was the wolf – now we think Whale is the enemy. Don't you see? This is just like that. Of course she's resistant to believe it."

It took Mary-Margaret a while to respond until she stopped walking and said: „You're starting to sound like Archie. - When did you get so smart?"

„I had a good teacher." He gave a short kiss before they continued their way to Whales Apartment. „Who would also know all of that if she wasn't emotionally envolved by being constantly rejected by her best friend."

„Okay, now you're really starting to scare me."

When they arrived at Whales Apartment the door to the building was torn apart. They shared a worried look and David went up the stairs in front of Mary-Margaret. The door of Whales Apartment itself was also torn. It was David, who said „That's not good, right?"

Mary-Margaret didn't reply. She just went into the apartment, despite of David trying to stop her, because it was simply too dangerous. They didn't know what they would find inside. „Ruby? Are you here? Dr. Whale?"

No one answered. They kept walking through the place, which was a complete mess.

After they split up it wasn't long until Mary-Margaret yelled „**David!**" as she entered the bedroom.

He came running immediately and saw why she had been yelling: There was Dr. Whale. Lying on a bunch of clothes who seemed to have been pulled randomly out the closet. His head was bleeding and he was unconscious.

**: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :**

Ruby opened her eyes. She felt horrible... like every bit of energy she had had been drained from her.

When she found the strength to at least sit up and take a look around she found that she didn't recognize the place she was in. With three very obvious questions in mind (where was she, how did she get there and what had happened?) she tried to get up but didn't get far. It wasn't until they held her back, when she finally realized that manacles were chaining her to the wall behind her. Her fingers found the red fabric of the red cloak, which was wrapped around her, as she sat back down and leaned against the wall. She sat there for a while, thinking, trying to remember what happened, until:

„You're awake. Good."

Ruby jerked and found that the woman who said it was standing in the door, which she hadn't had heard getting opened. The woman had brown hair, tucked together and was wearing a dark cloak. Ruby had never seen Cora, but that woman matched her description. Cora continued: „I was starting to worry it may have been too much for you. Turning without a full moon is a lot to handle for your body."

„Like you care."

„Oh, I do care, my dear." Cora walked toward her but kept a certain distance when she stopped. „It would have been a pity to see you die, after everything I did. After all it wasn't easy."

Ruby was disgusted by her. „Turning be into a wolf without the full moon?"

„Turning you into a wolf whenever I wanted to. Unfortunately, the last part didn't quite work out. You need to be upset for it to work. But you knew that already, didn't you?"

Upset. The work repeated itself in Rubys mind and she touched her cloak again. Whale… she had been at his place and found the cloak. But she didn't mention him. „You're lucky I'm wearing it right now." She pressed angrily through her teeth.

„No, dear, **you** are lucky. If I hadn't turned you back you'd be dead by now. Your body isn't made to turn into a wolf without the moon being at it's full power. As a wolf you burst with energy, of course, but at a certain point you need to turn back into a human to recover, or your heart won't be able to keep up with your strength. And I can't have that."

„Because you care so much about what happens to me?" Ruby asked bitterly.

„Because you can't do what I need you to do, if you're dead."

„What makes you think I would do anything for you? I wouldn't as a human and certainly not as a wolf!"

„But you did. You came here because I called you. As soon as you lose control over the wolf I can take over. Magic can control animals if you know how, I don't even need your heart for that. That's why I chose you. "

Ruby swallowed hard. „Chose me to do what?"

„To kill Snow White, her husband and of course their child. Consider it a... gift for my daughter."

She was disgusted with the idea, that she was supposed to kill her **friends** (and scared that Cora may be actually able to get the wolf to do it). „Why don't you just get her flowers?"

Cora smiled but it was a cold smile without any real emotions. Luckily for Ruby that meant that she hadn't angered the witch. „Because her dead enemies will mean so much more to her. She'll have no other choice but to lay our differences aside. Especially since she can take Henry back because no one will blame her, or me… it will all be on you."

It stroke Ruby like a lightning: That was true. Everyone would think the wolf-girl lost control and killed them. And if they would blame anyone else it would be: „And Dr. Whale. They will blame me for killing them and him for making me lose control. You made sure someone besides Snow and David would suspect him to behind this, so you framed him." It seemed like Whale had lied to her about the blood test and he had her cloak but what did that mean, really, when Cora was behind all of this? Ruby still had hope he migiht be innocent in all this. Or somehow tricked into it. „Didn't you?" But she had to be sure.

Again Cora smiled. „Oh, Dear... you don't need to frame anyone if they're guilty."

Hope – smashed.

* * *

Ah well, what role did our bad Doctor play in this game? Things might get a bit more clear next monday. Possibly. Maybe. ;) And maybe you will also get to read a missing scene. Guess which one? ;)

See you next week, Frankenwolfies! & Don't forget to leave a Review :)


	10. The Awakening

Hey guys :) I'm back with the new chapter. But before that, a word or two to my lovely reviewers:

_to Guest_: Like I said before; truth takes time. And I sure took mine with the Whale-Mystery ;)

_to_ _midnighthatter_: Okay I'm lost lol My english is pretty good but it's not my native language therefore I don't stand a chance when it comes to auto-corrected texts xD All I got was "What the hell is Whale doing in that chapter"?

_to CaptainHookLover_: Well that's kind of Cora's Job description, right? lol

_to_ _Wolfa Moon_: I'm going with "truth takes time" again ;)

As promised: Things start to get clearer in this chapter. At least a little bit (I'm not letting you off the hook this quickly lol)

* * *

**Chapter 10; The Awakening  
**

"Can I slap him? I want to slap him." Lydia looked at the unconscious Whale as if he were some kind of unknown but dangerous animal. It was true though – they didn't know him. All they knew was creppy Frankenstein-Stuff and that didn't excatly make anyone wanting to trust him. And now this whole Ruby-Thing?

Mary-Margaret looked at her husband with big eyes. "Maybe that'll wake him up?"

"No." David insisted. "There will be no slapping the unconscious man with the concussion, who knows what that might do. He'll wake up when he wakes up." They had brought him to the hospital and Lydia had taken care of him as good as she could. Whale was now in a bed with a bandage wrapped around his head.

"That is not good enough! Ruby is **gone**, David, we don't know where she is. And by the look of Whales Apartment, it's save to say that she's turned into the wolf again! He needs to wake up now and explain this whole thing."

"Which is exactly why I am going to look for her. You two stay here with Whale... and please: Behave." He gave Mary-Margaret a kiss on the forehead who looked worried but also stubborn like a little child. He was treating her like one anyway, wasn't he? She sighted. He was right, of course... slapping an unconscious Dr. Whale didn't help anyone.

After David was gone the two women stood there in silence before Lydia said: "You know... he didn't say anything about no poking..." and suddenly (Mary-Margaret had no idea where that had come from) held a toothpick in her hand.

"Lydia, let's focus for a moment..." After all **she** was the one with medical background, right? "We still have to figure out what happened to him."

Lydia sighted and seemed disappointed, that she didn't get pick on Whale (as in **literally**) and put the toothpick away. "I don't know. It wasn't Wolf-Ruby that's for sure. Wolfies don't cause concussions, they rip out body parts and devour them."

Mary-Margaret had already known that but it was actually something else that consfused her a bit: "Wolfies?"

"Oh, yes." Lydia often seemed like she was about 12 years old, when actually she must have been in her late twenties. "I tend to call bad things by cute names so they don't scare me. I know it's stupid but I've done it all my life. My Mom used to do it." She bit her lip and Mary-Margaret knew one thing: Even know Lydia tried not to be afraid of (probably) everything, she was. And calling it by cute names didn't make anything less scary.

But she didn't adress the topic any further and got back to Whale: "So... what, we're just waiting for him to wake up so we can ask him? This could take hours" and with Ruby on the lose they didn't have hours. "Isn't there something we can do to wake him up?"

Lydia shrugged her shoulders. "Of course there is. But if we do, it could damage him. It's not just the concussion he's probably in shock, too. I hate to say it but David's right. Whale needs to rest and all we can do is – unfortunately – wait."

**: : : : : : : : : :**

_"Ruby, wait, listen to me"_

_"I **did** listen. I'm done now." Victor thought he could have handled it of Ruby would be mad - but she wasn't. She was simply broken and too tired to listen to him, he could tell. Holding the red cloak she has been missing ever since that night Greg died in her hands she didn't even look at him anymore. And he was glad she didn't. She had before and he had seen a shimmering glamour in her eyes and hearing her broken voice, seeing her standing there was already more than he could handle._

_"But you don't know everything."_

_"I know enough." She was desperately trying to hold on to her selfcontrol and constantly taking deep breaths._

_"No, you don't." He took one step toward her but she backed away, finding herself with her back against his closet. He shouldn't have let Ruby alone but hell, he didn't think she'd go in his bedroom... this had already been messed up when he had returned home. Of course, messed up was the wrong word, since Cora (he was pretty sure it had been her) didn't just mess it up. She had simply been looking for Rubys Cloak and left it on the floor, so she would find it. Whale should have known better than to sort-of-maybe trust that B-... Witch._

_"Leave me alone." The way she held on to her Cloak reminded him of a child, holding on to its security blanked. If Victor didn't know better he'd think this Cloak could protect her not just against turning into a wolf, but also against any evil in the world – which right now, inside her head, included him. And he couldn't blame her._

_"Ruby, you have every right to hate me, but you might as well do it knowing everything. There's more to the story than you know."_

_"I don't care." She said and threw the cloak over herself. Now she obviously felt secure enough to yell at him. "I don't **want** to know! I should have believed Mary-Margaret. You are nothing but a liar! You said you wanted to **help** me but you're the one **behind this!**"_

_"I may have done this to you, but I'm not the one who's behind this!"_

_But Ruby had been serious about what she'd said before: She was done listening. She walked passed him but as she did something weird happened – her cloak stayed where it was. As if someone was holding on to it, someone no one saw. Victor narrowed his eyes to slits but he didn't have much time to observe._

_As soon as the Cloak left Rubys body she was delivered to her rage. Everything happened very fast. Victor didn't think Ruby knew what was happening, she didn't even have time to look surprised before her human body changed into a wolf and growled at him._

_Victor automatically stepped back. There was no point in talking to her anymore, he knew very well that she couldn't hear him. Ruby kept growling and he heard someone laughing. He looked toward Rubys cloak, which still seemed to levitate in the air and said: "Cora! Show yourself! Help me!"_

_"Oh, Doctor..." Cora said and turned visible. She was holding the Cloak and watched perfectly calm as Ruby drove him into a corner. "I'm not a Dschinn. I don't obey your wishes."_

_"You owe me!"_

_"I beg to differ. You got what you wanted by helping me. If anything we're even and if Ruby wants a little appetizer, who am I do deny it to her?"_

_Victors mind was racing. There had to be a way to get her to call Ruby off of him. "I wouldn't advice it. If she takes a bit of me she'll turn right back and everything was for nothing."_

_She looked at him, her eyes widened and her face puzzled. "You didn't."_

_He gave her a cold smile. "Did you honestly think I didn't take precautions against something like this? - Now call her off or you can kiss your plan goodbye." He was bluffing, of couse, but he knew Cora wouldn't risk her plan going to hell. At least not for someone of which she didn't care wether her lived or died._

_She sighted. "Ruby." The wolf answered to her immediately. "Let's go. Have some fun elsewhere and then return to me. And tomorrow night we have work to do."_

_Ruby turned away from Victor and walked out of the bedroom. He heard her trashing his apartment but he didn't have time to do anything about it because Cora magically smashhed him against the wall. He felt something liquid running down his face and landing on the pile of clothes, which now he was thankful for, before he lost consciousness._

Victor slowly opened his eyes and awoke with a headach. He sighted. Finally he was awake... he had been re-living Ruby finding the cloak over and over again in his mind, knowing very well that he was dreaming now, but couldn't do anything about it either.

He sat up with a moan and realized where he was immediately: The hospital. Who wouldn't recognize the place they worked in, but he had never been a patient before. All he remembered was being a Doctor here, since that was a part of the curse. Taking a quick look around and not seing anyone near him he got out of the bed and was glad to see that he was still wearing the suit he had worn before. Not that it mattered, in a situation like this, but the one who would put him into one of those hospital gowns he would have to kill.

It didn't take him long to reach his office, which wasn't locked. Of course it wasn't, they must have broken in, in order to find proof that he was all so evil. But as it turned out they hadn't looked very well: Ruby's blood sample was gone but something else wasn't. He held a serum in his hands as he heard a very familiar voice behind him:

"Dr. Whale. It's nice to see you're awake." He sighted. Did saint Snow White need to be everywhere? Since he didn't answer she continued: "And picking up where you left off I see."

"Getting annoyed by you? Yes, obviously." he replied and turned around. Mary-Margaret wasn't alone, this red-headed nurse named... something was with her. "Small army."

"Oh" the nurse said "but we're armed." and was suddenly holding a toothpick in her hand, which caused Victor to frown in confusion.

* * *

I have to ask - who else starts to really love Lydia? I know I do lol

Anyway, that's that... I hope you enjoyed it! More explanations will follow :)

Till next week, Frankenwolfies ^^


	11. The Win-Win-Situation

Hey you guys ^^ It's monday and I'm back. I'm basically asleep here, but back xD It's been a really long day (been having a lot of these lately) but I'm glad it's finally Fanfic-Time again :)

To my lovely reviewers:  
Suuz-5-5 - I blame your exams, too - but I hope they went well? And thank you!  
Wolfa Moon - Both will be answered in this chapter^^  
kelli maguire - Thank you :)

* * *

**Chapter 11; The Win-Win-Situation  
**

"Not that it's not always a pleasure talking to either of you, but I really don't have time to chat." Whale said and kept digging in his cupboards.

"I bet you can't even tell my name." Lydia said and Mary-Margaret thought that was probably true, but totally besides the point.

Therefore she added a more important question: "What are you looking for?"

"First of all: You're right, I can't, but I don't see why that should matter. And second of all... this." he had a hollow needle in his hand and filled it with the content of the serum he was holding in his hand.

"And what is this?"

"My plan."

"Okay, that's it" Mary-Margaret walked toward him and took both away from him. "You won't get this back until you answered our questions!"

"There isn't time! How long have I been unconscious?"

It was Lydia who replied "About a day. It's getting dark outside."

Whale looked worried. "What is it?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"Tomorrow night..." he mumbled and then asked: "Did you find Ruby yet?"

"Who, Ruby-Ruby or Wolf-Ruby?" Mary-Margaret asked just to see if he would be surprised about the fact that she had turned again but as suspected - he wasn't. "No, we didn't."

"In that cas you'll have a problem very soon if you don't give me the hollow needle back."

"Why?"

"Because Wolf-Ruby, as you call her, is supposed to wipe out your family. Tonight. Call it a three-course meal if you like." His words caught her off guard wich was why he as able to get his needle back from her.

"Why would you want that?"

"I don't. Or – I don't care to be completely honest, but I don't want Ruby to kill anyone."

"She already has."

"What, that Greg-Guy? No. Cora killed him." He sat down on his chair and started to roll up his sleeve.

"But Ruby said..."

"Ruby said what she believed had happened. Which was all a plot of Cora. Yes, Ruby turned in front of Greg but no she didn't kill him. When she turned into the wolf Cora was there and told her to do it, to devour him, but she disobeyed and attacked **her** instead. Cora didn't haver her completely under control back then, so she used the red cloak to turn Ruby back, killed Greg herself and made it look like a wolf attack. When Ruby woke up she assumed she had killed him - everyone would have in a situation like that. Cora did a very good job, she even spilled his blood all over Ruby."

Mary-Margaret sat down on another chair. This was a lot to take in. "That's what you were talking to Cora about. There's a tape which shows you two together the day Ruby thought she'd killed him."

"Yes. I went down to cover up the mess, but of course Cora had already taken care of it. She gave me the red cloak, I put it in my car and went back to Ruby. I wondered why she had given me the cloak... now I know. It was so Ruby would figure out I was the bad guy."

She ignored his self-pity. It was his own fault! "Why are you even working with Cora?"

Whale was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again his voice was bitter. "I **was** working with her. Right now all I'm trying to do is save Ruby."

"I heard that before... why do you think we'd even let you near her again?" Mary-Margaret couldn't stress this point enough. After all **he** was the one responsible for what had happened to Ruby.

"Because if you don't: You're dead. Cora has her under complete control now. Which means if she says attack – the wolf will... that's why she picked her. She claimed to have found some spell to get a wolf under control and from what I've seen in my apartment: It works."

"So, what are you going to do? Find an encounter spell? You're not a warlock."

"Thank you, Diane"

"Lydia!"

He ignored her. "Without you I wouldn't even know what I was. - If everything goes according to my plan Ruby will be as she was and I will be dead. And if something goes wrong I guess Ruby will stay as she is now and I will be dead anyway. So for **you**" he looked at Mary-Margaret. "This is what you call a win-win-situation."

Mary-Margaret frowned and watched him injecting himself with the serum and when he was done she asked him a couple of other questions, which he answered.

: : : : : : : : : :

"What, now **you** trust Whale?" David had his difficulties believing his wife as she told him what had happened in the hospital. He had been out looking for Ruby all night and day, but after hearing that Cora was behind all this, he wasn't surprised that he hadn't found her. Cora must have kept her in a place which was magically protected.

"I don't trust-him, trust-him but I... believe he's telling the truth. Why would he warn us if he wanted us dead? He doesn't care if we live or die, we're not important to him. But Ruby may be. He assisted Cora in her plan so far, but he also got close to Ruby and I think she has gotten to him. Which is why he's trying to help her now. **Really** help her."

"By having us play bait? I don't know..."

Mary-Margaret sighted. "It doesn't matter what we do. He said Cora will get Ruby to attack us tonight anyway and with Gold out of town, we have no magical assistance against her. Besides, he can't possibly make the situation any worse."

David took a look at Whale, who stood at the exit of the hospital, ready to go. He sighted. "Alright. Let's hope he's been telling the truth... and for his plan to work."

: : : : : : : : : :

They weren't going anywhere in particular, just for a walk, but after a while they parted.

"If she see's me she'll never make her attack." Whale said. "I'll be near by." And he was gone.

"You know, for a Doctor, he's awfully good at sneeking around." David said.

Mary-Margaret hardly thought that was the most important thing to dicuss right now, but in a way she was thankful, that David picked something to talk about, that didn't include the words _Ruby_ and _Meal_. "Maybe that's the Frankenstein-Thing. After all, in this world, it's a horror movie... many horror movies, actually."

Neither of them felt very comfortable walking through town, knowing they would be attacked by a wolf anytime. Mary-Margaret wished it would just happen already – waiting was the worst part.

Suddenly she heard growling behind her. She looked to David and then turned around – there she was. It gave Mary-Margaret a shiver and she felt panic comin up inside of her as she at the wolf.

"Ruby...?"

The wolf snorted and howled. It wasn't fullmoon but still made an impression. Mary-Margaret and David started walking backwards, but she also took a look around. "I don't see Cora anywere. Do you?"

"That's what you're worried about?!" David asked in disbelief. "I don't see **Whale**!"

Mary-Margaret didn't either but she needed to believe he would lift up to his word. Because if he didn't they had about two minutes left to live... tops!

Right when Ruby looked like she was about to jump at them there was a gunshot and Ruby looked toward the direction of the noise. It turned out to be Whale, who had fired into the air. A part of Mary-Margaret was relieved, that he had come, another was worried what was about to happen next.

"**Remember me?**" he yelled toward Ruby and she didn't waste any time. She seemed to have forgotten that she was supposed to attack Mary-Margaret and David, and ran over to Whale in no time, jumped-

Mary-Margaret turned away. David put his arms around her but that didn't keep her from hearing the wolf growling and Whale screaming. Until everything was silent.

Nothing growled anymore, no one screamed... Mary-Margaret dared to look again and saw Whale lying on the ground, from the distance she couldn't even tell if he was still breathing. She could very much tell, though, that he was covered in blood and his right arm and shoulder were ripped off. There was so much blood pouring out of his open wound... and also there was: Ruby. The real Ruby, in her human form. She was also unconscious, also on the ground and wearing the same clothes like she did yesterday, but they were drained in blood, as was her mouth.

It was over... Whales Plan had worked. Injecting himself with the antidote to what he had given Ruby and getting her to attack him had sounded like the most insane plan in the history of plans – but it had worked.

She still couldn't tell if Whale was dead or alive, though.

* * *

To one last review I didn't comment at the beginning, because it would have been a spoiler:midnighthatter - congratulations, you figured it out! :) Well, kind of at least, but close enough! And thanks for the translation. It makes sense now^^

I feel like I should note that this Story is headed toward it's end. There will be one, maybe two next chapters... but then that's it. Prepare for the end, dearies. It's coming!


	12. The Return

Hey everyone! :)

I'm getting a bit sad that this Fanfic is so close to it's end. But instead of rambling about that, I'd like to ramble about your Reviews.

**Suuz-5-5** - Congratulations! :) And I know what you mean. I feel the same way about writing  
**Wolfa Moon** - Your wish, my command ;)  
**kelli maguire** - Read and find out^^  
**WhisperInTheRainnn** - Thank you so much :) Keeping you at the edge of your seat is exactly what I'm trying to, it's great to read it's working :)  
**midnighthatter** - Nope he's not^^ It was so hard to keep my mouth shut about that lol  
**CaptainHookLover** - Don't worry the suspense is over :D At least until you finished this chapter xD  
**nj white** - Of course I will finish it ^^

* * *

**Chapter 12; The Return**

The first thing Ruby noticed, when she slowly became conscious, was the pain in her head and the weird taste in her mouth. She tried to open her eyes but the bright light made her close them again, very quickly. In the first moments there was absolutely nothing on her mind, except confusion. She could feel lying in a bed and from the short look she got from the room she could only tell that everything seemed to be extremely white.

"Ruby?"

The voice came to Ruby as a lour ringing in her ears and she moaned as she tried to open her eyes again. This time it worked. She squeezed them, but when she turned her head left she saw Mary-Margaret sitting by her bed, now smiling in relief and with tears in her eyes.

"You're awake."

Ruby wanted to reply but her throat was dry and all that came out was just a weird noise.

"You should drink something." Mary-Margaret gave her a glass of water and Ruby slowly sat up, taking the glass with a light smile. She felt the cold water running down her throat into her stomache, leaving a cold trace behind.

"How do you feel?"

Ruby took a deep breath. "I don't know." her voice was hoarsely. She knew this, it sometimes had happened back in the Enchanted Forrest, when she had turned back. "Everything is bright, loud and... intense." She could hear people walking in the hall outside her room. She had realized by now that she was in the hospital. "What happened?"

"You don't remember anything?"

She frowned and thought very hard. "I remember Cora... she said something about getting Regina to witness her _victory_. And then I remember her taking the red cloak off of me, but... nothing after that."

"So that's why she wasn't there. She had been looking for Regina." Mary-Margaret seemed to talk more to herself than to Ruby, who looked at her in puzzlement. "You attacked David and me. Or, you were going to..."

"Oh god..."

"No, we're fine!" Mary-Margaret smiled at her. "**You're** fine... you swallowed some of the antidote of the serum that had turned you into a wolf in the first place. You turned back and we brought you here. We have more of the antidote, you'll just have to have it injected it for the next couple of days and then everything will be back to the way it was before."

That was all pretty good news, but it still kind of raised more questions that it answered. "How do you know all that? And how did I swallow the antidote? I was a wolf." She very much doubted that a wolf, who was controlled by Cora, would have taken antidote because they asked nicely.

"Well..." The smile on Mary-Margaret's face fainted. "It turned out we were both right about Dr. Whale. And both wrong. He was helping Cora at first, but in the end he saved you. He injected himself with the antidote and showed up right when you were about to attack David and me. You went after him instead..."

Rubys eyes widened. "No..."

"Don't worry, you didn't eat him. His blood was enough to turn you back, but... you did hurt him. He's in pretty bad shape and ironically he seems to be the only Doctor in Town who would be able to help him."

Suddenly she didn't care about her head hurting like hell or everything being brighter and more intense (which was probably a wolf-hangover). She swung her legs out of the bed and said: "I want to see him."

"Ruby..."

"Snow, let's not go over this again... I want to see him." Ruby didn't even have time to think about everything Whale did. Right now only one thing mattered: She needed to see him. She was kind of hoping to figure out where to go from there, when she did.

Mary-Margaret hesitated. "Okay."

She helped Ruby getting out of bed, putting a bathrobe on and walked her to the intensive care unit. There was a glass panel which showed the inside of a room, in which Whale layed. Ruby couldn't see much, just him lying there, covert in sheets and being associated to about 3 different machines (or at least ot looked like that from her point of view).

"No one's allowed in, except for the Doctors and Nurses. They say every germ could cause in infection with him that could... it wouldn't be good for him."

Ruby was frozen and unable to take her eyes off of him. "If the only one who could safe him is himself, why does it matter if anyone enters? He's going to die anyway. And I'm responsible."

"No, you're not. Associating himself with Cora was what brought this on. She couldn't have done it without him."

"Why did he even do it?"

Mary-Margaret slightly shook her head. "I don't know. He wouldn't say."

Ruby heard steps rushing toward the intensive care unit and turned to the door long before it opened. It was David who entered the hallway but he wasn't alone. While he was reliefed to see Ruby being awake, Mary-Margaret shot forward.

"Emma! You're back!" she said and hugged her daughter.

Ruby slightly smiled. As glad as she was to see them again, she still had to figure out a way of dealing with the fact that Whale was about to die.

After her mother let go of her Emma walked toward Ruby and gave her a short hug. "So... you're back to normal?"

"I guess."

"We have good news." David said happily.

Mary-Margaret asked immediately: "You found Cora and Regina?"

David hesitaed. "Okay, we have news."

While his wife seemed disappointed Emma blend in: "We can safe Dr. Whale. Or let's just say _someone_ can safe Dr. Whale... **Will you come in already!**"

Ruby thought she'd heard more than just two people but after only David and Emma had come in she figured she'd been wrong. It turned out she hadn't been. It was Mr. Gold who now entered the hallway.

"Why would you save Whale?" Mary-Margaret asked him but it was Emma who answered.

"He wouldn't. But he sort of has to, doesn't he?"

"Don't be cocky." Gold muttered but Emma ignored him.

"He sort of owes me a favour now. As it turned out _Rumplestiltskin_ and the Manhatten Police Department didn't get along very well. But that's besides the point."

"A delightful story, though." David added, who apparently had already heard it.

"I can ask him to help Dr. Whale. Right now magic is the only thing which can, but I heard what he did... and considering you were the one who suffered under his actions, you should be the one to decide. If I ask him he will heal him. But I don't have to ask if you don't want to."

Ruby knew very well how rare it was when Gold owed someone a favour. But she didn't need to think even for a second: "Do it. Ask him."

Emma nodded. "Got it." She looked at Gold. "You heard her. Heal him. And no magical footnotes!"

Without another word, Gold walked past them, opened the door to the room and stopped in front of the bed. Ruby had seen him do magic before and even though it wasn't as much special effects as Hollywood would add to it – it was impressive. He simply moved his right hand and Whale was covered in something which looked like a dark cloud. When the cloud disappeard he wasn't connected to any of the machines anymore. Aside from that everything seemed like before, except when-

His eyes opened.

Ruby, who had held her breath without noticing, exhaled in relief. Whale sat up and looked confused but Gold wasn't in a chatty mood. He simply turned around and walked away, but not without stopping to say: "This means we're even, Miss Swan." Then he left.

Whale sat in his bed and his eyes found Ruby though the glass penal, staring at her. And she stared back.

"Go ahead." Mary-Margaret said. "Talk to him."

But all Ruby did was looking at his blue eyes, which were filled with regret and sorrow. She wanted to talk to him. So. Bad. He was fine now and she had wanted him to survive but... he had betrayed her. She had trusted him enough to even defend him against her best friend and he had betrayed her. When he was about to die there wasn't really time to think about any of this. All she'd known was that he wasn't allowed to die... and now that he hadn't everything else came rushing back into her mind. Every emotion she had felt, every lie he told. She still looked at him as she slightly shook her head.

Then she turned around and walked away with a broken heart.

* * *

By show of hands: Who else has a broken heart?

Now I have good news and bad news. The good news: This isn't the end. I will write an **Epilogue** and upload next Monday as usual. The bad news: That's really it, then.  
Until the next (and last) time then, Dearies!


	13. Epilogue

You guys, the end has come. And for this special occasion I will turn down my babbling and will get to the Epilogue right away:

* * *

**Epilogue**

It had been a month since Ruby had nearly killed four people.

Mary-Margaret and David, who she was **going** to kill but had instead went for Whale, whom she **would** have killed if it hadn't been for Gold. And then there was Greg, who **was** dead, but as it had turned out not because of Ruby. Mary-Margaret had told her everything she knew but since Whale hadn't told her anything about his motives to work with Cora in the first place Ruby still didn't know anything them. And she told herself that she didn't want to know. She had managed her life without him before, she could do it again.

She hadn't spoken a single word with him ever since she helped saving his life. That was really all she had owed him, she figured, since he had nearly destroyed her and just did the right thing in the very last second. She didn't need any explanation. And if she did, she would never admit it. Of course she saw him every once and a while, none of them were able to leave town, but she avoided to look at him as soon as she saw him and he didn't seem to dare to enter Grannys anymore.

As for Cora and/or Regina – no one knew where they were. As for Ruby; she was back to normal. Lydia had injected her with the antidote als recommended by Whale and after a week the nightmare had been over. And not only because of that Ruby was very glad. As it had turned out, without magical assistance to make the wounds disappear (as Cora appeared to have done when Whale injected her the serum that had changed her) – it started to hurt after a while.

She was now about to open up Grannys but as she unlocked and opened the front door she saw an envelope lying on the ground. She picked it up and saw that there was no adress or stamp or anything on it, except a handwritten: _Ruby_

Her heart skipped a beat. She really could only think of one person who would write her a letter... and that was **not** Cora apologizing for the_ inconvenience_.

She looked around but couldn't see anyone, so she went back into the Diner, sat down at one of the tables and opened the envelope. As she had suspected – the letter was from Whale.

_Ruby,_

_As I have told you before you have every right to hate me. But I still need to explain to you what happened, because you deserve to know everything._

_Cora approached me as soon as she reached Storybrooke. She used my frustration to turn me against the town. She knew who I was and she knew that I was an outsider. And because of that I was frustrated. Everyone here thought I was a monster, when I had just been trying to do something good with my life. And I was mad at you. I was the one in this town whom everyone was disgusted of and you got a free-pass for everything. I knew what you were before you told me and I knew what you had done. And it made me so mad to see that they still loved you – even though you did such horrible things. I couldn't understand that. I know that doesn't justify what I did. Nothing could. _

_The night Greg came to town, I was prepared to die. You saved me when you didn't have to and I realized that I have wronged you. You understood me, which has never happened to me before. No one ever undestood me, not here, not back in my land._

_But it was too late, I had already injected you with enough of the serum to turn you, which was why I started working on the antidote. When I saw you were about to leave town I panicked. You would have lost everything you were and you are too precious to get lost. And worst of all, it would have been my fault. I had known about Cora's plan to have you kill Greg, but as you probably know by now that plan had failed. That's why I was there that night. I knew where you would be and followed you from there._

_Do you remember the way you felt when you woke up after you spend the night at my place? You said you felt fine, even though you shouldn't. That was because that night I injected you with the antidote for the first time. Of course I didn't have Cora to cover my tracks that time, but luckily you blamed a mosquito for your itching neck._

_I know what you must think: Why haven't I just told you? It would have made everything easier and believe me, I know that. The truth is – I was a coward. I have seen what a wonderful, kind and loving person you are and you even seemed to like me. I didn't want you to see what I have done and look at me the way you did in the hospital. I was hoping that I could correct my mistake without anyone noticing. I was wrong of course. Cora found out I had betrayed her and made sure you would figure out what I've done._

_After that I had only one option left: Inject myself with the antidote and make you attack me, instead of your friends. Of course Cora had told the Wolf to kill David and Mary-Margaret, but I was very certain that your rage against me would be stronger than Cora's influence over you. And I was right. You attacked me and once again I was prepared to die – and once again you have saved me. But this time you didn't just have no reason to save me, you actually had every reason to let me die. I would have understood. But you didn't. You saved my life anyway. That shows how much of a good person you are._

_Today I not only regret my actions, I am also disgusted about the way I used to think about you and that I let Cora use me to hurt you. _

_I know you will probably never forgive me. For what it's worth, I don't think you should. What I did is unforgiveable. Just know that I'm deeply sorry and that I will miss you. I truly hope you will find your happiness one day. If anyone deserves it, it's you._

_Victor._

Ruby sat there for a while, reading the letter again and again, unable to stop, with tears in her eyes. Everything made sense now. This was die explanation she never wanted to know but now that she did she also realized that she had needed to know it.

**: : : : : : :**

The coffee in this hospital tasted horrible. Maybe that was a part of the curse as well, Victor thought as he swallowed it. He always used to get his coffee hat Grannys, like basically everybody else, but he couldn't go there anymore. Therefore he now needed to get used to the brown water, which the hospital insisted on calling coffee. He had been avoiding people in general these last weeks. After what he did to Ruby everone hated him. It didn't matter that he had helped her in the end... but he didn't blame them.

The only one who was still talking to him (and not only because there was no way around it, like when he was at work) was Mary-Margaret. She sometimes asked how he was he replied with a _Good, and you? _She said _Good_ and then that was it. Mary-Margaret tried hard to make him not feel like an outsider but they really didn't have anything in common and therefore nothing to talk about. Except of course Ruby. They both cared about her but that was also a very sensitive topic so they kept their distance from it.

Victor had never experienced love, not the true kind, and had always just wasn't meant for some people. At one point he had even thought that he was incapable of loving someone – as he now knew he had been wrong. Ruby has awoken a part of him that he thought didn't exist at all. But he had managed to screw that up very well.

He sighted and walked over to his office. He didn't have any patiens today, just paperwork, which he had never liked very much. Unfortunately paperwork had the nasty habbit of only getting more and more when he ignored it so there was no point – he had to do it.

It might have been half an hour, maybe longer or shorter he really didn't know, when a cup was placed on his desk and he smelled coffee. Real coffee. Victor looked up and saw...

„Ruby?" he didnt believe his eyes.

At first she didn't say anything. She just stood there, looking at him and he couldn't tell what she was feeling. Had she gotten his latter? Was she mad at him?

„Don't think this is for free. You're going to have to pay for that. And for the delivery." she said and sat down on the chair of the other side of his desk. That was a good sign, right?

Before getting serious he said: „It's not posioned, is it?"

„I thought about it. But... no. Unless it's too much sugar and you get diabetes."

He shrugged his shoulders. „I'll take the risk." And then there was silence before he dared to ask: „Why are you here?"

„Well... you always complained about the coffee in this place. I figured I'd bring you a decent coffee." After a short pause she added: „I got your letter. - Why did you write it?"

He held back a _Didn't you read it?_ and said instead: „For the reasons I said. Or... wrote. I wanted you to know the whole truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

„Do you really believe that you don't deserve to be forgiven?" Victor somehow felt that this was the only reason she was here. She wanted an answer to that very question.

„Yes. I mean I lied to you, hurt you and lied some more... Turning someone into a wolf isn't exactly the nicest thing to do. I just wanted to apologize and I thought you'd never talk to me again, so I started writing." He had never written such a long letter in his life. But once he had started it had been hard to stop.

Ruby was silent. After a while she took a deep breath. „Do you want breakfast?"

Victor blinked. „Sorry?"

„Breakfast. As in food?"

„Yeah, no, I know what breakfast is I just-" he started but she didn't let him finish.

„This doesn't mean your forgiven. And it is most certainly not a date." Victor had expected that much but hearing her saying it did hurt him. „But I think maybe we could start over. No more lies. Just you. And me. And see if... maybe... someday... there can be an us."

This he hadn't expected. Victor had a hard time not to beam at her but he managed to turn it down to a smile. Ruby still seemed uncertain about what she was saying but she wanted to get past what happened, he could see it. He very much thought that he didn't deserve her... but maybe he could one day be someone who deserved her. And if anyone was to help him going to make that happen, if was her.

Finally he replied with: „I'd love breakfast."

* * *

I know - it's **kind of** an open end, but I pushed them into a very positive direction and I'm sure you can make up in your minds what happened that "someday" :)  
After what Whale did it didn't feel right for Ruby to forgive him just yet, but she wants to. That's the most of an happy end this Story can have, but personally, I like it very much, and I hope you do, too!

I adore every single one of you who has stayed with this fanfic till the end! You are all so very much awesome!  
To be honest I don't know if I'm going to write another Frankenwolf fic again. I have two other fanfics in progress right now and lots of other ideas in mind, but none of them regarding Frankenwolf. If an idea hits me - I will of course write another one, though :)

But until then: Take care, dearies :)


End file.
